One of the realities of daycare in the U.S. today is availability, so a good waitlist policy plus a childcare waiting list template are important tools for daycare operators. A waitlist policy outlines the process for prospective families looking for slots in your daycare center. A daycare waitlist template helps you gather the information you need from prospective families so you can notify them as soon as space opens up.
Keep reading to learn why you need a waitlist and how to create a waitlist policy that includes essential information about your waitlist process. You’ll also find sample waitlist policy language and a sample daycare waiting list template that you can adapt for your center. Finally, you’ll get tips on how to manage your waiting list.
Childcare is a necessity in the U.S., but daycares may not be able to accommodate all the children who need it. The COVID-19 pandemic combined with staffing shortages and rising childcare costs helped to shutter an estimated 8,889 childcare centers across the U.S. between December 2019 and March 2021.
The lack of available centers and increasing demand for childcare create areas without proper care options. These are commonly referred to as “childcare deserts.” Even before the pandemic, 6 out of 10 Californians already lived in childcare desert areas.
Some areas may have waitlists of up to a year or more. Military and naval families are especially vulnerable. In San Diego, Navy families wait between 6 to 18 months for childcare openings.
Parents with children currently enrolled at your daycare may pull their children out for a number of reasons, like relocation. When space becomes available, having a waitlist ensures that your center fills any vacancies smoothly and promptly. Your center should always have a waitlist policy in case prospective parents want to enroll their child at your center when a vacant slot opens up.
You should always be transparent about your childcare center's waitlist policy. This will remove any major questions parents may have about enrolling at your daycare. Providing transparent and clear policy guidelines will also cut down on the number of phone and email inquiries your center receives.
You also want to ensure that your daycare waiting list policy promotes fairness and honesty regarding when and how a child will be admitted to your daycare program as space becomes available. Your daycare waitlist policy is a larger extension of your center's overall philosophy. Setting the tone for your center through your waitlist policy helps to reassure parents of the steps they need to take to navigate this lengthy and often frustrating process.
Establishing a childcare waiting list is crucial in case space becomes available at your center. If you're not sure how to create and manage a waitlist, having a childcare waiting list template can help. Following these steps will ensure your center has the best waitlist policy in place for potential daycare enrollees.
For the 58% of working parents who use daycare centers for their children, being on a waitlist can be difficult. To offer the most comprehensive information, a successful waitlist policy should cover several areas, including:
For fees, state whether your center requires any application fees to apply for your waitlist. You also need to state whether these fees are refundable if the parent decides whether or not to enroll their child with your center. Some centers may also require a parent to pay an application fee to hold their child's place on the waitlist or an advance on the first month's tuition.
You should explain if your center participates in any government financial assistance programs. Include any pertinent information regarding daycare payment policies along with waitlist information.
You'll also need to specify if your daycare has set enrollment periods or if you offer ongoing enrollment. If a daycare slot opens in the middle of the year, explain what the odds are of a child getting in between normal enrollment periods. This will help parents understand the likelihood of getting a spot in your center.
Proper communication with potential new families is essential. Let them know how you plan to stay in touch with them while they are on your waiting list. Do they need to call the center each month or will you send text and email updates on their status?
Inform parents of their current position on the waitlist and how long you will keep prospective children on your waitlist. If possible, let them know any estimated turnover times expected for certain age levels but explain that these are estimates only and not guarantees. Explain if your center operates on a first-come-first-serve basis or if you hold a lottery drawing for available spots.
Your daycare waitlist policy can also explain if you have any special enrollment offers. These could include a sibling discount or enrollment opportunity for more than one child from the same family at the center. You may also offer a place on the following year's enrollment list if parents are willing to wait a little longer to enroll their child.
A proper waitlist policy will help you develop your childcare waiting list template. While you can personalize your waitlist policy as needed, a sample like the one below can help you understand what information you need to include.
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To prospective parents and children of [Daycare Center Name]:
Thank you for your interest in adding your name to our waiting list.
How Our Waitlist Process Works:
Policy on the Availability of Center Space:
Policy on Securing a Daycare Space:
Having the right information is key when creating a childcare waiting list template. You should ask parents to provide the following information for their file while on the waitlist:
While not required, it may be helpful to include a sheet of FAQs regarding your daycare center's waitlist policy as well. This can help parents understand any common issues.
Parents talk to each other and they may become upset if they find out another parent's child got in before theirs did. But if you are clear on your policies and add a section to your FAQs explaining this scenario, it can help straighten out any misconceptions.
A daycare waiting list template helps take the guesswork out of creating the right structure for your waitlist. Follow the daycare waitlist template below for help developing your own form. We included the text below in case you wished to copy and paste the material into your own document. Or, you can download our free template.
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[Name of Daycare] Childcare Waitlist Form
Child's Information
Full Name: ________________________________________
Birthdate or Due Date: ______________________________
Child's Home Address: ______________________________________
________________________________________________________
Name of Sibling (if applicable): _________________________________
Date of Birth: ___________________________________
Childcare Information
Desired Start Date: _______________________________
Childcare Program Preference:
Indicate which childcare program you prefer your child to attend by checking the appropriate box. If you have no preference, check all the boxes.
[ ] Monday-Friday Morning Schedule 7:00-11:30 a.m.
[ ] Monday-Friday Afternoon Schedule 12:30-5:00 p.m.
[ ] Monday-Friday Full Day 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
We will fill the appropriate slots as they open for either session.
Contact Information for Parent(s)/Legal Guardian(s)
Name: ____________________________________
Relationship to Child: _____________________________
Cellphone Number: _____________________________________
Home Phone Number: _________________________________
Email Address: _______________________________________
Name: ____________________________________
Relationship to Child: _____________________________
Cellphone Number: _____________________________________
Home Phone Number: _________________________________
Email Address: _______________________________________
Please read our Daycare Waitlist Policy and FAQs for further information regarding our center's waitlist process.
Our center actively promotes diversity and honesty in all forms.
Effective management of a daycare waitlist can be a daunting task for daycare staff who already have so much on their plate. While it's important to maintain and inform parents of their status on the waitlist, you should make sure you engage in the proper practices to do so. Your childcare waiting list template and waitlist management go hand-in-hand with one another.
Keeping the lines of communication open is essential. Staying in touch with your waitlisted parents can help build trust between your center and your potential families. It shows that you value them and are working diligently to address the issues of open space within your daycare.
Send monthly or biweekly emails as needed. You can also use text alerts to keep parents informed. You should have a dedicated email address just for waitlist inquiries and updates to keep these messages from getting lost among the other messages.
If you use a childcare management system, it can help you keep track of your daycare center's waitlists for you. It can automatically send email updates and text alerts to potential families informing them of their status. This can take a burden off you and allow you to focus on other areas of your daycare.
You should never guarantee a parent a spot in your daycare within a given time-frame. Estimates are fine, as long as you make it clear that these are only estimates.
Streamlining the waitlist process makes it easier on parents and daycare centers alike. You'll find it much easier when you automate your waitlist process combined with the use of a proper daycare waiting list template.
We know preschools like yours are busy. That's why we made dozens of templates to help you manage the various aspects of your organization. With billing and invoicing, activity templates, forms and even marketing materials, we have it all. Download all 100 today!